Sales Team Metrics as a Motivational Tool

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by Mary Hendow, contributing blogger

Sales Team Metrics as a Motivational Tool

Metrics, benchmarks and key performance indicators (KPI’s) track performance against goals and drive key decisions in most organizations.  So why do so many sales people groan at the mention of these terms?  I believe that all too often, they are used to micro-manage an organization, which creates frustration, fear and paralysis. Great sales organizations, however, understand that metrics provide a road map for improving results, and when effectively used inspire success and motivate peak performance.

Bill Stinnett, in his book Think Like Your Customer, talks about the connection between performance, measurement, and motivation: “Where performance is measured, performance improves. Measuring any human activity will cause those being measured to be more effective and efficient.  It’s human nature to want to do better over time.”  

Metrics and benchmarking of sales teams, sales processes, and sales activities are the passports to success.  There is both an art and a science to the use of sales team metrics; the metrics need to be accurate, well thought out, and delivered strategically and tactically.   

Metrics provide focus and clarity to your sales strategy. Chip and Dan Heath in their wonderful book Switch point out the importance of emotions in driving successful change: “behavior change happens in highly successful situations mostly by speaking to people’s feelings.”  Using metrics to inspire your sales team to reach for that feeling of success will likely have better results than if you speak only to the logical, rational, non-emotional reasons to make x number of calls per day.

Metrics are a powerful coaching tool that can be used to leverage the desire for success. Use metrics to inspire and empower, rather than to micro-manage if you want peak performance from your team.